Bhubaneswar: A day after Padampur Assembly by-election in Odisha, leaders of the ruling BJD on Tuesday voiced confidence about retaining the seat, while opposition BJP claimed that the saffron party candidate will emerge victorious.
Optimistic about party candidate Pradip Purohit’s victory in the bypoll, BJP state general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan claimed that the people of Padampur are fed up with lack of development in the area and want a change this time. “They are angry as the area has been neglected by the BJD government,” he claimed.
The people are also skeptical about the sincerity of BJD candidate Barsha Singh Bariha as they consider her as an outsider. They want a local leader to represent them and work for the overall development of the constituency and welfare of its people.
Expressing similar views, BJP MP from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi said it is clear that the people of Padampur are eager to see Purohit as their legislator. “Our candidate is loved by all in the constituency. I am sure that lotus is going to bloom in Padampur,” she said.
However, senior BJD leader and former minister Prasanna Acharya said people of the constituency have full faith in the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
They are well aware that all the promises made by BJD have been fulfilled and the Chief Minister has been taking personal interest to implement various developmental programmes in the area, he said. “BJD is going to win in the bypoll and there should be no doubt about it,” the former minister said.
Echoing his views, senior ruling party leader Debi Prasad Mishra said people across the state, including Padampur, love Naveen for the state government’s pro-poor policies.
Stating that the steps taken by the BJD government for the empowerment of women have won everyone’s heart, Mishra said BJD is confident that the ruling party will emerge victorious in the by-election.
In his post-poll remarks, senior Congress leader and legislator Suresh Routray, on the other hand, said that the party is likely to be placed in the third position and claimed that both BJD and BJP have spent huge money in their bid to win the By-election.
It may be noted that a record voter turnout of 81.29 per cent was recorded in the polling held in the Assembly segment on Monday. Counting of votes is scheduled to be held on December 8.
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